1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle, such as a tractor or riding lawn mower, having a change speed device and a differential arranged adjacent each other in particular.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a tractor or tiding lawn mower of the type noted above, as disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication Kokai No. 58-19822 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 4,513,834), engine output is transmitted to a rear differential through a change speed device such as a hydrostatic stepless transmission or gear type transmission. The change speed device and differential are arranged adjacent each other in order to achieve compactness by reducing the length, longitudinally of the vehicle, of a transmission line including the change speed device and differential. The change speed device has an output shaft extending horizontally, while the rear differential has a drive pinion shaft also extending horizontally to act as an input shaft thereof. The output shaft and input shaft are vertically displaced from each other. To transmit output of the change speed device to the rear differential, it is necessary to provide an intermediate shaft extending also horizontally between the output shaft and drive pinion shaft, and transmission gearing for interlocking the output shaft and intermediate shaft and the intermediate shaft and drive pinion shaft. In the embodiment described in the above publication, for example, output of the change speed device is transmitted to the rear differential through a plurality of intermediate shafts and transmission gearings.
The construction including a plurality of intermediate shafts and transmission gearings for transmitting output of the change speed device to the rear differential is large and complicated, and involves a cost increase. Such a transmission structure requires a space forwardly of the rear differential and below the change speed device. Thus, this space cannot be used for other purposes.